Michael Shannon (BOARDWALK EMPIRE) was interviewed at the 2011 RiverRun International Film Festiva, where he was honored as an “Emerging Master”. In this clip, he discusses the strange (to him) process of meeting with Zack Snyder and the improvised screen test that lead to him being cast as Zod for Warner Brothers Pictures MAN OF STEEL. Via Collider.com
Press Release: Michael Shannon, BOARDWALK EMPIRE
“Warner Bros. Pictures and Legendary Pictures announced today that Michael Shannon will star in the role of General Zod in director Zack Snyder’s new Superman film, titled MAN OF STEEL.
Snyder stated, “Zod is not only one of Superman’s most formidable enemies, but one of the most significant because he has insights into Superman that others don’t. Michael is a powerful actor who can project both the intelligence and the malice of the character, making him perfect for the role.”
As General Zod, Shannon will go toe-to-toe with Henry Cavill, who plays the new Clark Kent/Superman in the film. The main cast also includes Amy Adams as Lois Lane, and Diane Lane and Kevin Costner as Martha and Jonathan Kent.
Michael Shannon was honored with an Academy Award nomination for Best Supporting Actor for his role in Sam Mendes’ Revolutionary Road, with Leonardo DiCaprio and Kate Winslet. Shannon was most recently seen in the award-winning HBO drama series “Boardwalk Empire,” from executive producer Martin Scorsese.
He will next be seen in Sony Pictures Classics’ Take Shelter from director/writer Jeff Nichols. Charles Roven, Emma Thomas, Christopher Nolan and Deborah Snyder are the producers of the film.
The screenplay is being written by David S. Goyer based on a story by Goyer and Nolan. Thomas Tull and Lloyd Phillips are serving as executive producers. MAN OF STEEL will be distributed worldwide by Warner Bros. Pictures, a Warner Bros. Entertainment Company.
So it’s Zod, after all.
Could be worse. Could be another real-estate mad, campy Luthor.
Warner Brothers Pictures and Legendary Pictures announced that Amy Adams (THE FIGHTER, ENCHANTED) will star in the role of Lois Lane in the new Zack Snyder-directed Superman feature film.
Snyder remarked: “Second only to Superman himself, the question of who will play Lois Lane is arguably what fans have been most curious about. So we are excited to announce the casting of Amy Adams, one of the most versatile and respected actresses in films today. Amy has the talent to capture all of the qualities we love about Lois: smart, tough, funny, warm, ambitious and, of course, beautiful.”
Amy Adams has been nominated for an Oscar three times, most recently for THE FIGHTER.
According to Canada’s The Globe And Mail, Superman may be flying off to Vancouver for his film reboot.
According to Peter Leitch, President of North Shore Studios and Mammoth Studios, Zack Snyder’s next project is going to be filmed at the studio in British Columbia.
Snyder filmed WATCHMEN at the facility, where they built impressive New York streets for the comic book movie.
While Peter Leitch would not say that the Superman film is Zack Synder’s project, apparently other sources confirmed to the newspaper that the Warner Brothers film was heading there next year.
Promoting the local industry, Leitch said:
“I think it’s a great signal that we’re doing very well here and that we’ve got the quality technicians. … We’ve got a reputation now that we turn out quality product here and I think that’s made the difference.”
Might also be a way of keeping the project within a reasonable budget, something to bear in mind for a potentially FX-heavy movie.
No comment from director Synder or Warner Brothers Pictures as yet. Could Mammoth's NY Backlot sub for Metropolis?
According to Deadline.com, director Zack Snyder (WATCHMEN) and producer Christopher Nolan have begun their search for an actor to play Superman in the Warner Brothers reboot of the character.
The article claims that the studio may opt to go the route of choosing a relative unknown or an actor from television. They’re reportedly looking for someone between 28-32.
This of course is likely flexible; Sony/Columbia was looking for someone 18-24 to play Spider-Man, and ultimately chose to go with 27-year old Andrew Garfield.
As noted in the piece, any established TV actor currently in a series might not be available to play the role, as the next Superman film is likely to begin production June 2011, when most shows would also be shooting. One of the reasons for pushing it into production is that certain rights revert to the Siegel/Schuster estates in 2013.
The role has featured several relative unknowns, the first live-action Superman was serial and B-movie actor Kirk Alyn, Christopher Reeve had done mostly soaps and theatre, and Brandon Routh was not well known before SUPERMAN RETURNS. SMALLVILLE’s Clark Kent, Tom Welling, was essentially a model—though he’s yet to actually don the iconic red and blue outfit. George Reeves had been a moderately known actor, supporting in A features, starring in B-movies before accepting the role—which he considered a distinct downward step in his carreer.
Warner Brothers Pictures and Legendary Pictures announced that Amy Adams (THE FIGHTER, ENCHANTED) will star in the role of Lois Lane in the new Zack Snyder-directed Superman feature film.
According to Canada’s The Globe And Mail, Superman may be flying off to Vancouver for his film reboot. 
According to Deadline.com, director Zack Snyder (WATCHMEN) and producer Christopher Nolan have begun their search for an actor to play Superman in the Warner Brothers reboot of the character.